Moraea bituminosa
(L.f.) Ker. Gawl.
iNaturalist· cc-by
(c) Matthew Fainman, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matthew Fainman
iNaturalist· cc-by
(c) Dave Richardson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dave Richardson
iNaturalist· cc-by
(c) Matthew Fainman, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matthew Fainman
Summary
Source: WikipediaMoraea bituminosa is a species of the genus Moraea in family Iridaceae. It is a cormous geophyte 25 – 30 cm high with two leaves. The plant is sticky to the touch. Flowers are yellow with deep yellow nectar guides. The outer tepals are 22–32 mm long and inner tepals are 20 to 29 mm long. It flowers from October to December with flowers opening in the afternoon. It is endemic to the Western Cape, from Bredasdorp in the south-east to Wellington and Tulbagh in the north, on stony sandstone slopes. It was first described by Carolus Linnaeus the Younger in 1782 as Iris bituminosa. In 1805, John Bellenden Ker Gawler moved this species to its current name, Moraea bituminosa.
Description
A corm or bulb plant. It grows 20-50 cm tall. There are 2 or 3 narrow leaves. They have a channel and are trailing. The flowers are large and yellow.
Edible Uses
The corm or bulb is eaten as a snack or cooked as a vegetable.
Traditional Uses
The corm or bulb is eaten as a snack and as a vegetable.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant.
Where It Grows
Africa, South Africa*, Southern Africa,
Synonyms
References (2)
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 67
- Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
